We spoke Alex Dennis, Quality Apprentice working for Balfour Beatty Vinci
Can you describe your role in a few words?
My work involves assuring quality is maintained over the HS2 project – so making sure we meet all of the requirements by completing audits, to ensure the project is meeting all required standards.
What were you doing prior to your Apprenticeship?
I was in college for 3 years studying engineering while working in a warehouse role at UPS and Ocado.
What was your perception of the sector before you started your apprenticeship?
I always thought that it would be very technical and demanding throughout all of construction, but I haven’t found it to be like that at all.
What interested you in joining Taylor Woodrow/ Balfour Beatty Vinci?
I knew that it was a recognised company and then when I found out that they were working on the HS2 project I was even more interested in joining the company.
What are the key things you’ve learnt so far in your job?
I’ve learnt how precise you have to be in the construction sector and how to conduct myself professionally as I’ve never worked in an office environment before. Also, because the project has such a diverse set of people working on it, I have learnt a lot about other cultures.
What is the most exciting part of your job?
The most exciting part of my role is definitely constructing process maps on Visio or shadowing particular inspections. I really enjoy completing process maps – and I also complete a Weekly Brief for all of the Midlands HS2 quality which is challenging.
What would you like to do after completing your apprenticeship?
I’d like to continue working on the HS2 project.